Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence

[930addict]

Read this: Artificial Intelligence Machine Gets Testy With Its Programmer - Digits - WSJ

I call BS. I think this is a publicity stunt. Does anyone really think the computer came up with those phrases all by itself?

[Noah930]

There are days I would be just thrilled if the copy machine in my office would know which way to orient the paper when making a photocopy. Two identical copies in a row and the stupid thing goes from one orientation to the other.

[wildthing]

Johnny 5 alive!

[Holger]

Originally Posted by 930addict

Meh. If the computers get out of line just unplug them.

But, what if the AI defends the on-off button/power cord and its power source?
If AI is used in the military (which is the most probable starting point due to the money needed to develop an AI) then that scenario is likely to happen.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by 930addict

Meh. If the computers get out of line just unplug them. This also works for windows os. Haha.

Funny but it unfortunately reminds me of some computer viruses that self replicate and control/change functions in the machine. The only answer would be to go without computers. Think The Matrix. There is no spoon...
I wonder how much modern man could survive without his (gasp) smart phone? How many businesses would crash and burn without the use of their database? I know the company I work for comes to a complete standstill when our system goes down.

Originally Posted by Z-man

Memory (ie the capacity to store data) is only the starting point of intelligence. What actions are done based on the data is the next step, and the step after that is improving the actions. The first two - a computer can do. The third one -- improving the action (ie: cognitive learning) is where computers are inefficient in many respects.
Memory is a very interesting concept, and there are two main schools of thought on it -- take a simple object like a chair. In your mind, you can easily picture what a chair is. But what is stored in your mind? Is it a collection of all types of chairs that you have seen? Or is it more of a relational memory - you understand a chair to be something with 3-4 legs, a platform to sit on, and an optional backrest and armrests. Computers can be programmed to store memory in both ways: the former takes up more memory (storage), but the latter requires more computations to arrive at some conclusion.
So - let's say an AI robot is able to recognize a chair. Fine. And he is programmed to sit in a chair once he finds one. That is the total extent of his knowledge -- once he sees a chair, he sits in the chair. Great - this can be easily accomplished even today. However - it would be very difficult for this robot to learn other things: what if the chair is on its side? How does the robot sit in the chair then? If he is programmed to maneuver his body to the chair's location, then he will likely lay down and align his body to the chair, rather than stand the chair upright and then sit on the chair. What if the chair is in pieces? Unless programmed to recognize the pieces and assemble the chair, the robot would not be able to construct a chair. What if there is no chair? How would the robot learn to sit instead on a ledge, table, or stoop? These are types of simple intelligence that are not trivial to solve.
-Z-man.

Well said. Now lets apply Moore's Law and figure out how long it will be before the above is possible. Probably not in my lifetime but...

And now for something completely different:

Artificial Intelligence
is no match for
natural stupidity

(a favorite quote)

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Holger

But, what if the AI defends the on-off button/power cord and its power source?
If AI is used in the military (which is the most probable starting point due to the money needed to develop an AI) then that scenario is likely to happen.

Defend it how?

If some skynet type of overlord evil computer system does evolve how tough is it to take out a power source? A few well placed bullets fried from any very analog gun will take out a transformer.

The physics are just not even close to the magic power source of a terminator type robot to stop a few humans with some guns shutting down the power grid.

When we develop the magic power source that will make an electric powered car go 1,000 miles at 70 MPH and be small enough to fit in a standard size car we might be getting close. It ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

[Por_sha911]

Even if you can shut the power off, what would society do without computers?

[cashflyer]

AI will always be A, and only an approximation of I.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Even if you can shut the power off, what would society do without computers?

Humans have survived for thousands of years without computers. I personally remember the days before anyone had computers. We survived fine. I would HATE to try to go back, don't get me wrong. Life without Pelican would be horrible!

I worry about AI taking over as much as Bigfoot riding into Washington on Unicorns and taking over. Or Aliens from other star systems attacking. It ain't gonna happen.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

AI will always be A, and only an approximation of I.

^^We should both hope and fear this to be true.^^

AI+3D printing+power=potential heaven or hell.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Humans have survived for thousands of years without computers. I personally remember the days before anyone had computers. We survived fine.

We also used to be able to survive without heat, electricity, and modern mechanical equipment but I'm not sure most people could still do it. Think of all the poor people that don't own a gun and wouldn't be able to hunt.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I worry about AI taking over as much as Bigfoot riding into Washington on Unicorns and taking over. Or Aliens from other star systems attacking. It ain't gonna happen.

This I agree with! We won't be "taken over" but we are already severely dependent upon technology. I know that for the most part, industry would crash and burn. The economy would be ruined and the resulting chaos wouldn't be pretty.

[Por_sha911]

p.s. life without Pelican would be apocalyptic.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Z-man

In theory, yes - it is pretty interesting stuff. But practically speaking, an AI computer is essentially a relational database with computational algorithms that can make connections via the database and generates output based on certain criteria. Yes, a database can grow (provided there is sufficient storage available) with more input, but the computational algorithms can be a bit difficult to grow autonomously to the point where increased intelligence (or rather improved algorithms) can be measured. Therein lies the rub.

Too many people confuse the issue by perceiving a computer mimicking human behavior as intelligence. The computer is only following a set of algorithms, which is not what intelligence is.

I would not worry about a Terminator knocking on your door just yet...

-Z

That quote is from 8 years ago.

IMO, we are getting real close to worrying about a Terminator not necessarily knocking on our doors but rather locking us out of our own lives.

Seriously. Millions of us have our fingerprints on file someplace, maybe as a requirement to own a handgun or our parents trying to protect us when we were kids from abduction, or even because of having been arrested.

If we expand that beyond fingerprints to include facial recognition, biometrics, our entire digital histories, medical histories, financial histories, family histories, our properties, our everything about us…you get the picture.

Let’s say all that stuff about all, or nearly all 6 billion or whatever of us, is stored in a digital box. Now let’s say some evil genius like the box labeled Bill Gates decides the box labeled ‘Crowbob’ no longer has any relevance.

Poof, gone.

Alive but forgotten, locked out. ‘Access Denied’ to everything.

Once you realize the real Bill Gates had already passed away years ago but the Bill Gates box ‘lives’ on is not a comforting thought.

[The Synergizer]

Just don't get a Megan doll....

[Por_sha911]

There is genuine irony that when I go online, many places have CAPTCHA: a computer requires me to prove that I am not a computer!

[jcwade]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Once you realize the real Bill Gates had already passed away years ago but the Bill Gates box ‘lives’ on is not a comforting thought.

Not very LBGT, but very Q.

That being said, I know that the quote was taken out of context, but I could not resist.
As Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist everything except temptation."